Tidbits
by AkitaFallow
Summary: No one knows what the future holds. But really, if the future is anything like what comes up in here, it could go anywhere. A compilation of various future fic ideas. Read to find out what may or may not be coming...
1. To Be Brothers

**I've seen this done before, and I can happily say that I shamelessly stole the idea from hoshi-tachi's "The Playpen". I need somewhere to put my random ideas, and so I'm offering this up. Each chapter will be a tidbit of a different story idea (usually the first chapter or so). I'm putting it under the Harry Potter category because, more than likely, every single one will be a Harry Potter fic, be it crossovers or otherwise.**

**None of the story ideas will be related in any way. You can't read this like a regular story. It's just a place for me to throw random bits of ideas for future fanfictions. I can't guarantee when, or even if, I'll ever continue any of them. I'd love it if I got some feedback on what you think of each idea, and whether you think I should continue it or not sometime in the future. Maybe I'll put up a poll sometime about which I should work on first...?**

**Ah, well. I hope you enjoy these tidbits. :D**

* * *

_Tidbit 1: _Harry Potter/Rurouni Kenshin crossover

_Title: _To Be Brothers

_Summary: _Unknown as of yet

_Rating: _T

* * *

The atmosphere was quiet at the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu Dojo. Kaoru sighed as she grabbed the set of bandages she'd set aside and started wrapping the newly-cleaned stab wound on Kenshin's shoulder. She hadn't meant to be so hard on him about her ribbon; really, there were greater things on her mind than some newly-bloodied piece of cloth, even if it _was _her favourite. Kenshin… she'd never seen him wounded like this before. Granted, she'd rarely seen him fight much, but this…

She pursed her lips as she continued to wrap his shoulder, hiding the bloody wound. She caught the tiniest of flinches as she tugged the bandage tighter, and gave another little sigh. All this for her… And it really was all her fault. Granted, that lunatic Jin-e was already targeting Kenshin before she got involved, but… If she hadn't gone out looking for him, if she hadn't let Jin-e get a hold of her and use her against him, he wouldn't have had to fight. Or at least, not like he did.

Kaoru shuddered slightly at the memory of Kenshin's eyes. If that was truly what the Battosai was like… She could see why he was renowned for his murderousness during the Meiji revolution. Because of her, he'd nearly reverted back to that from the gentle rurouni she knew.

Because of her, he'd nearly broken his vow not to kill.

Kaoru frowned, knowing that nothing she said would affect him. He would just apologize for inconveniencing her, and allowing her to be hurt. He wouldn't accept any words of thanks or remorse from her.

She was about to tie the bandage off when Kenshin suddenly stiffened. Thinking she'd tightened it too much, she looked up and was about to let off some of the pressure when the door flew open with a bang.

Sano's head flew up towards the doorway as Yahiko jumped to his feet, shinai in hand.

"Who are you?" Sano demanded, flexing his fist as he stood as well, more slowly. Kaoru remained frozen next to Kenshin, her hands stilled in the process of tying the final knot. The figure in the doorway was only a silhouette; she couldn't make out anything about it. Her first terrifying thought was that Jin-e was back, that he wasn't actually dead, that he'd returned to finish the job with Kenshin—

"Himura Battosai. I am going to kill you."

Kaoru felt something in her stomach loosen at the voice—much too young to be Jin-e's—but simultaneously, something else tightened. Another one demanding Kenshin's life? Why? Would these threats ever stop? And how did he know about Kenshin being the Battosai…?

She abruptly glanced over at Kenshin to see his reaction. Was he strong enough to fight this… this intruder? Would he revert back to Battosai again?

He hadn't moved. In fact, he was simply staring quietly at the floor in front of him, not even sparing a glance for the intruder. She couldn't see his eyes.

"I'll ask you nicely one more time; who are you?" Sano growled, stepping forward. Suddenly, he stopped, as though he had been frozen in place. The look on his face—of complete shock, his muscles twitching as he tried to move—would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. Her first thought was that it was the paralysis Jin-e used—but no, it couldn't be, Jin-e was the only who could do that… wasn't he?

The voice that responded was as cold as ice. "There is only one man to whom I am speaking, Sagara Sanosuke, and you are not he."

The figure in the doorway suddenly took a step forward into the light. Kaoru instantly noted his civilian clothes—he wore no gi, and no weapon of any kind. He was no swordsman—or so she hoped. After all, no all weapons are easily seen. His clothes looked normal enough, if a bit dusty, as if he had been walking on the road for a long time.

Her eyes travelled up to his face, and she gasped. Black hair fell into striking emerald green eyes, framed perfectly by an almost angelic, European-looking face. The face of a boy.

Kaoru felt her confusion mount. What was a _boy_ doing here, threatening Kenshin? How did he know about him? And about Sano, for that matter? He looked only a few years older than Yahiko!

"You're just a kid!" Yahiko suddenly shouted, holding his shinai in a defensive stance. Kaoru found herself compelled to agree, until she felt a little flutter of fear as a sound slithered through the air.

The boy was _laughing_. Holding a slender hand to his face, he leaned back, chuckling like a mad man.

"Who… who _are _you?" Kaoru whispered, feeling the tendril of fear grow a little as those green eyes were turned on her and the laughter stopped as abruptly as it had come, even as the tiniest of smirks lingered on his face.

"It's not your concern at the moment. Right now…"

And suddenly he was gone.

Kaoru had but a second to gasp before Kenshin was wrenched from beneath her hand. Her eyes widening, she watched as the green-eyed madman lifted the red-haired swordsman by the remains of his gi, holding him one-handed in the arm in front of his face.

"I could kill you right now." His voice was frigid. From her vantage point, he looked truly murderous.

At that moment, Kaoru felt true fear grow within her. She had to do something, anything… But she couldn't move. It was as though her limbs were simply locked, held by some invisible force. She felt panic grow in her throat as her thoughts strayed back to the helplessness she'd felt under Jin-e's paralysis; she couldn't breathe… couldn't breathe…

Kenshin, strangely enough, barely reacted, simply staring quietly into the eyes of his assailant.

"How many times will you threaten that?" his soft voice asked. Kaoru was at a loss as to how he could remain so calm. _Does he know this… this lunatic?_ She was fighting hard not to hyperventilate. _It's not stopping you from breathing, Kaoru… Just breathe…_

The two men stared at each other for nearly a minute, and no one else moved. The silence was suffocating. The boy's arm didn't even tremble as it held Kenshin, nearly his size, in the air.

Suddenly, a tiny grimace, as if he were both amused and annoyed, quirked the edge of the boy's mouth.

"As many times as it takes before you get it through your thick skull, idiot."

The tense atmosphere snapped. Kaoru blinked as Kenshin smiled slightly back.

"You have said that many times, as well."

The boy suddenly set Kenshin back on the ground. "I wouldn't have to say it so many times if you'd just listen once in awhile." Kaoru felt her confusion mount at the almost warm, growling tone in the voice that had so recently been so cold and hard. The boy didn't let go of Kenshin's gi, and he began to drag him back to the mat he had been sitting on before he'd been grabbed.

Kaoru scrambled to the side, still shocked and confused, as the green-eyed boy's hand motioned her away. With deft motions, he forced Kenshin to sit again, and then knelt beside him and—began to tie the bandage on his arm?

"Tokyo, Kenshin. Really. You leave me in Osaka, tell me you'll probably wander your way to Kyoto, and where do I find you? Tokyo, of all places, holing yourself up in a dojo. You'd think you were trying to avoid me. Again. How many times is that now?"

Kenshin shrugged his free shoulder, his small smile never leaving his face.

"I'll tell you how many times. Thirty six. And that's not counting that one in Nagasaki."

Kenshin winced. "For a defence, this one did not intend to stay for long. Circumstances are beyond this one's control."

The boy snorted. "Yeah, I'd say. First you mix yourself up with an idiot impersonator and his stupid brother, then end up fighting _that_ rooster-head over there, and then you manage to attract Udo Jin-e, of all people, and end up getting yourself hurt, as usual. Maybe I should just kill you now and end this stupidity. _Especially _since you've gotten civilians involved! What the _hell _am I supposed to do with you?"

Kenshin winced slightly as the bandage was tied off with possibly a little more force than necessary.

"This one does not know," he said, almost meekly. Kaoru blinked.

Suddenly, it was as though the paralysis from before broke, and everyone moved at once.

"Wait, just who the hell are you?" Sano suddenly burst out, taking a threatening step towards the boy beside Kenshin.

"How do you know Kenshin?" Yahiko demanded at the same time, brandishing his shinai as threateningly as a ten-year-old can.

Green eyes swung upwards to stare at both males, and a bit of the previous tension returned.

"I don't think you are in any position to be making demands," he said quietly, almost threateningly. Kaoru felt a shiver run down her spine.

The moment passed as Kenshin suddenly elbowed him.

"There is no need to be threatening. These are this one's good friends. They are nothing but concerned. You should not have been so harsh." There was the strangest tone in his voice, as if he were making a joke that no one else understood.

The boy blinked. "Well yeah, I know that. But what kind of entrance would I have made if I just walked in saying, 'Hi, how are you? I know Kenshin, so now we're all friends, let's drink sake together!'"

"Actually, that's exactly the kind of entrance this one would have thought you would have made."

His green eyes closed as he snorted. "Well, I didn't feel like it. I was a little pissed off about you wandering half way across the country and leaving me to find you."

"Well, now that you are calmer, do you not think you could be kinder, as well?"

Kaoru suddenly felt her confusion mount to unbearable levels.

"Umm, Kenshin… who is this?"

Kenshin looked up at her as if he'd forgotten she was there. "Kaoru-dono! This one apologizes, you are undoubtedly confused. This is—oro!"

He was suddenly elbowed to the side, sent sprawling on the floor.

"You say you want me to be kinder, but can't even leave me to introduce myself? Idiot." Kaoru stared at the green-eyed enigma in slight shock as he stood and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry for the rude interruption, Kamiya-san," he said in an incredibly polite tone, bowing slightly. "I was merely preoccupied. Please accept my sincerest apologies, and allow me to introduce myself. I am Himura Haru. Kenshin's brother."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the first tidbit! You can look forward to more in the very near future as I try to filter my writer's block by getting these ideas out of my brain for awhile. Tell me what you think! Also, I'm completely open to suggestions for stories, especially crossover ideas. Maybe your idea will be a tidbit soon! :D**

**-AkitaFallow**


	2. Instinct

**Not a crossover this time.**

**

* * *

**

_Tidbit 1: _Stereotypical Boy-Who-Lived-To-Go-Missing fic. With a twist.

_Title: _Instinct

_Summary: _They thought he'd died when the Dursleys abandoned him in the forest that summer. And they may have just been right. Harry Potter died that day-but something else was born. Something that no one will be prepared to deal with. (NOT a Dark fic)

_Rating: _T

* * *

_**Boy-Who-Lived Missing!**_

_August 13__th__, 1983_

_In a startling turn of events this afternoon, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, saviour of the wizarding world and defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was discovered missing from his safe hideout in England. The one-year-old Potter was sent into hiding after the attack by and subsequent defeat of You-Know-Who on October 31__st__, 1981, for fear of Death Eater attacks against the then-infant saviour. He was placed with a secure family that is known only to Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and his closest confidants, and has been kept under discreet surveillance for the past two years._

_Yesterday morning, Potter's surrogate family returned from a vacation, and this afternoon it was discovered that the Boy-Who-Lived was not with them. Whether he went missing before or after they returned is unclear._

_Albus Dumbledore was unavailable for comment on the situation, but he is rumoured to have already dispatched his own highly trained teams to locate the missing three-year-old._

_Auror teams have been in action since an hour after the discovery. So far, little evidence has been found, but there is speculation that Potter was kidnapped by a remaining Death Eater faction. The Ministry has high hopes that the boy will be recovered swiftly._

_Information is scarce at the moment, but this reporter will be sure to keep up-to-date on the latest news in this case._

_Valerie Cambridge, reporting._

_

* * *

_

_**Harry Potter Feared Dead**_

_August 16__th__, 1983_

_After the Boy-Who-Lived was discovered missing from his secure location, Auror teams were recruited to begin a search. What they have found has so far shocked the world. _

_Potter's surrogate family, thus far still undisclosed, was questioned the night of the boy's disappearance. To the shock of everyone, it was discovered, after Veritaserum was administered, that the family, on a vacation to the Swiss Alps, had intentionally left the three-year-old Boy-Who-Lived in the middle of the alpine forest during a hike two weeks before. This discovery has brought forth appalling questions as to the home life of our beloved saviour, as well as regarding the judgment of Albus Dumbledore, who placed him there._

_Headmaster Dumbledore has confessed to having neither the knowledge of exactly what occurred in the home on a daily basis, nor any idea that such an unspeakable act would be committed by the family. "There were no outward signs of any problems in the home, and we investigated the family thoroughly before entrusting them with Mr. Potter's safety. It seems we didn't look into it hard enough," he told us. An inquiry is being made into the circumstances surrounding Potter's home life and his disappearance._

_Once Aurors had an idea as to where Potter may be, teams were sent out to search. _Point Me_ spells were used, and found to be completely useless. Evidence of the boy's presence was found, but not the boy himself. _

_Finally, investigators were forced to accept that Harry Potter is likely no longer with us; a set of clothes, torn and bloody, that could only have belonged to a small child were found near where the Boy-Who-Lived was left. Aurors believe that he may have been set upon by wolves and killed._

_The wizarding world waits in desperate hope that somehow, Harry Potter has managed to once again cheat death and will return to us unscathed. Until then, we hold our breath._

_Valerie Cambridge, reporting._

_

* * *

_

_**Funeral for Harry Potter Scheduled for Wednesday**_

_August 25__th__, 1983_

_It is a sad day for all of the wizarding world. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, has been declared dead by Ministry investigators. After nearly two weeks of frantic searching, nothing but scraps of clothing have been found of our beloved saviour. Even those who refused to give up hope, such as Albus Dumbledore, have been forced to accept that Harry Potter is, for all intents and purposes, lost to us._

_A funeral for the Boy-Who-Lived is scheduled for this Wednesday evening in his hometown of Godric's Hollow, followed by the erecting of a statue in tribute to the slain hero. Donations at the funeral will go towards establishing a charity for orphaned children in Mr. Potter's name. The boy will be buried next to his parents, who died on October 31__st__, 1981, the day He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was vanquished. For more on that story, turn to page 16D._

_Valerie Cambridge, reporting._


	3. Two Part Harmony

**Another non-crossover, this time exploring an idea I had awhile back. Begins from near the end of HP7. The first three paragraphs are Rowling's.  
**

**

* * *

**_Tidbit:_ An exploration into the idea that one choice could affect everything. Probably going to be very strange.

_Title:_ Two Part Harmony

_Summary: _Harry Potter. Ron Weasley. Two sides of the same best-friend coin. But when Voldemort chooses someone else to check if his mortal enemy is dead... They say one choice can change everything. The line between living and dead begins to blur... and identities are not what they seem.

_Rating:_ T

* * *

"The boy… is he dead?"

There was complete silence in the clearing. Nobody approached Harry, but he felt their concentrated gaze; it seemed to press him harder into the ground, and he was terrified a finger or an eyelid might twitch.

"You," said Voldemort, and there was a bang and a small shriek of pain. "Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead."

Before anyone could move, Bellatrix's voice simpered through the air, breathless. "My Lord, please, allow me…"

Harry couldn't see anything, but he could almost sense Voldemort's stare, and his mind's eye pictured Bellatrix at her master's feet, eyes cast up lovingly, feverishly, as she begged.

There was a moment of breathless silence, and then—

"Check him, Bella," Voldemort's sinuous voice hissed. "I will test your loyalty later." This was obviously directed at another Death Eater, as Harry heard a barely audible whimper from somewhere to his right.

"Thank you, my Lord." Bellatrix's voice was barely above a whisper, husky and almost sensual. Harry could imagine her kissing the hem of her master's robe before rising. The rustle was almost ominous, and he felt his heart lurch in his chest. There was no way he was getting out of this.

As he heard the ground bristle under Bellatrix's feet, he found himself keeping completely still, trying desperately to slow his breathing, force his heartbeat to calm, anything that would make him seem as dead as he was supposed to be. But somewhere deep in his mind, where he refused to acknowledge it, he had already accepted that there was no way she could mistake him for what he was—very much alive.

_Oh, Merlin…_ Harry's breath almost hitched as he felt Bellatrix's cold fingers touch him face. He stopped breathing altogether as they ghosted over his mouth and nose, feeling for breath before continuing down to his throat.

But there was nothing he could do to stop his heartbeat.

The fingers froze completely as his traitorous heart beat a steady rhythm against his neck.

Suddenly, there was a shriek of fury, right near his ear, and he knew.

It was all over now.

"He's _alive_," screamed a voice that was hardly recognizable as Bellatrix's, so infused with shock and hatred that it was almost like a banshee's shriek.

Harry had only half a second to make up his mind as the clearing went dead silent. His only chance to get out alive was to _get out now_.

Instantly, his eyes were open, and he leapt to his feet, intent on using the shock of Bellatrix's exclamation to dash out of the circle. His hand was already reaching into his robes. If he could just break their ranks, get his invisibility cloak on, then they wouldn't be able to catch him, and he would be able to get back up to the castle, back up to his friends, where he could face Voldemort on _his _terms, with people nearby to take care of the Death Eaters, because Voldemort surely wouldn't let him get away now, after he'd failed again to kill him—

But he was a fraction of a second too slow.

"_Incarcerus!_" came a Death Eater's voice, and Harry felt ropes snake their way up from his feet, causing him to trip and face-plant straight into the ground. His heart was pounding in his throat as he tried to kick the ropes off of him, but he already knew that it was useless.

His eyes rose up almost involuntarily as he continued to struggle, the Death Eaters around him all drawing wands. The red eyes of Voldemort burned furiously as Harry's eyes met his.

"You should be dead," Voldemort hissed, and Harry had to suppress a shiver that tried to race down his spine at the absolute _fury_ in those words. It was enough to halt any further struggling.

Harry didn't know what possessed him to say it. "I make a point not to do what I'm supposed to," he quipped, and the lack of tremor in his voice would have been heartening, had the situation not been so dire.

Voldemort's eyes flashed. "_Crucio!_"

Harry braced himself for the curse.

Nothing happened.

His eyes blinked open after a moment, and he stared, shocked, at Voldemort, who was quivering in fury.

"_Crucio!_"

Again, the curse was ineffective, and Harry would have laughed at the way the Dark Lord's face was twisted if his heart hadn't been trying relentlessly to beat its way out of his chest in fear.

"_CRUCIO!_"

As the third curse proved just as ineffective as the first two, Voldemort screamed, a scream so full of fury that Harry would have covered his ears if his hands had been free. The Death Eaters drew back, never before having seen their Lord so angry. Bellatrix stayed where she was, but Harry could see her knuckles going white as she gripped her wand.

Suddenly, Harry's ears rang as silence reigned once more, and he couldn't stop his eyes from moving back to Voldemort's. What he saw there chilled him to the bone.

His red eyes practically glowed with malice, but the rest of him was calm; in fact, a tiny smile quirked the edge of his mouth. Harry had never seen such a terrifying expression.

"It seems neither of my favourite spells work on you. I should have anticipated it. After all, it didn't kill you the first time. But no matter. There are other ways to kill you, boy."

Harry's eyes were wide with fear as he watched Voldemort's mouth form slow, almost sensual syllables. "_Laceratus._"

For half a second, Harry let himself believe that the spell hadn't worked; that it was just as ineffective as the Cruciatus had been.

He was wrong.


	4. Disjointed

**This is something that came up while reading a number of rather angsty fics. It will explore insanity in certain forms, dissociation with identity, and a whole lot of coping, both with torturous memories and emotional upheaval, on the road to possible recovery.**

* * *

_Tidbit 4:_ Harry Potter fic, based after an AU final battle.

_Title: _Disjointed

_Summary:_ He stood on the edge of everything-the choice before him. To put in his hand with Fate. With grace, he made his choice and let himself fall over the edge, never to rise again... Or so he believed.

_Rating: _T/M

* * *

"—he can't have gotten far—"

Flash of a camera—no, far too bright, far too loud—

"Look there, I told you—"

—electric tingle of life in the frigid air, rumble of righteous anger from black velvet emptiness—

"Come now, son, let's get you inside. Easy, now—"

—battling frigid stabs of diamonds against skin, sharp knives and icy kisses—

"He'll catch his death out here! It's freezing—"

—but no, no, no, kisses and black and flashes fading into something warm and bright and soft and _painful_—

"Watch out! He's—"

—wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, _wrong_—

"Someone close those doors!"

—it's gone, it can't be gone, no, stop, _wait_—

"Come on now, easy! Hey, give me some help here—"

—stop, wait, it's... it's...

"Easy now, easy... We've got you. It's okay."

...fading into nothing...

* * *

"You have to be able to do _something_—"

"I told you, there's nothing you can do but wait."

"Wait? _Wait?_ You expect me to just sit around and _wait_ while you—he—"

"That is _exactly_ what I expect you to do! If there was something else that could be done, I can assure you that I would most certainly have done so!"

"So... what? You're just going to sit around and _hope_ by some bloody _miracle _that he'll suddenly—"

"_You are not the only bloody person who cares!_"

Something shattered, and then there was silence.

A voice, low and intense.

"If you trust me so little to be able to do my job, then why don't you tell me what I should be doing? Because you're not the only one who's asking themselves constantly why something more can't be done, wondering how it could have... c-could have c-come t-to..."

Nothing but sobs.

"I... I didn't kn—"

Sudden fire.

"The things you don't know could fill a bloody library. Get out of my sight, Black!"

Silence.

The closing of a door.

Nothing remained but the figure of a woman standing still as silent tears slid down her face.


End file.
